From a posted comment this morning from our own Bugs McGurque[NYP] The mysterious Ukrainian fighter pilot hailed as the "Ghost of Kyiv" after reportedly shooting down dozens of Russian aircraft has been killed in battle, an outlet said Friday.
The death of the much-celebrated enigmatic pilot was reported by The Times of London, which for the first time also publicly identified Major Stepan Tarabalka, a 29-year-old father of one, as the war hero.
Tarabalka was credited with taking out as many as 40 Russian aircraft until he was himself shot down March 13 while battling an "overwhelming" number of enemy forces, the UK paper said.
Tarabalka was posthumously awarded Ukraine’s top medal for bravery in combat, the Order of the Golden Star, with the title Hero of Ukraine, according to his family.
His helmet and goggles — all that was seen of him when Ukrainian officials promoted his heroism — are now set to be auctioned in London, sources told the UK Times while confirming Tarabalka’s identity.